For the Overall question "Do you think your child talks like other children his age?" some parents check "No" and state "My child has a better vocabulary than other children his age." On the Information Summary sheet, should we acknowledge the child's skill, write the parent's comments in the text box, and mark "Yes" to indicate there are no concerns in this area? Or should we mark "No" even though there are no parental concerns?
Sometimes parents will indicate their child outperforms other children. The ASQ developers recommend transferring the parent's answer, in this case, "No" and adding a note to the summary section that the parent's concerns do not warrant further assessment or referral.
How does the PEDS compare to the ASQ-3 in regards to expressive Language?
Each ASQ-3 interval has 6 questions in the communication area. These questions measure expressive and receptive skills. Most age intervals have 3 questions about expressive language. For example, “Does your child make sentences that are three or four words long?” and “When your baby wants something, does she tell you…
The ASQ-3 questionnaire, particuarly in the Communication area, sometimes is not in-depth enough and may flag a child with a slight delay instead of a significant delay. How would you address this type of case?
The ASQ-3 is a developmental screener designed to indicate when children may have delays. The tool is not in-depth enough to determine whether children have a slight delay or significant delays in the Communication area (or any developmental area). If a child has concerns in the Communication area (i.e., scoring in t…
A child may score on target in the Communication area of ASQ-3, but may still need a referral for evaluation due to difficulties communicating. Is this what the overall questions at the end of the questionnaire are designed to catch?
The Overall section at the end of each questionnaire serves as a general indicator of parental concerns. Any concern about development noted by parents should be discussed with the parents, and a referral should be made if appropriate. Keep in mind that these questions are not diagnostic; they can only serve as a gui…
If a child uses some sign language to communicate, should the signed words be included in his vocabulary words, even if he does not speak them?
Yes, if a child communicates with sign language, their signed words should be included. So, for item 6 in the communication domain of the 16 month questionnaire, "Does your child say eight or more words in addition to 'Mama' and 'Dada'?", you can include both spoken words and signed words.
